A YORK Park & Ride supervisor who once played football for top Turkish club Fenerbahce has become a community hero since the coronavirus pandemic started.

Chris Koksal, 63, of York, who has worked for First York for 22 years but has been furloughed since the end of March, has bought so much shopping for elderly and disabled people that supermarket security guards became suspicious.

A First spokesman said he registered with the NHS volunteer scheme and decided to become available 24/7 and has so far clocked up more than 750 hours of availability.

"He has gone on trips for shopping and collecting prescriptions, mainly for elderly or disabled people, and has become a regular shopper for a few people including Colin, who he chats with and collects weekend papers," he said.

Chris said: "I’m currently furloughed so I decided I might as well leave the app on. I go to bed but I’m not that tired. I don’t sleep much, so if they need me to go somewhere at two in the morning, I’m happy to go anywhere.

“I’m helping the community and proud of doing it, it’s really rewarding.”

He said he was born in Istanbul, Turkey and played in midfield for the Istanbul side Fenerbahce but came to the UK aged 22 to learn English. He had worked in hospitality, the dairy industry and then as a chemical operator before moving to York in the mid-1990s.